Some of my favorite places to visit. What are yours?

aris in summer is not top of my list. It's overwhelmed with foreigners, many of whom are frankly bad-mannered, homely and barely covered. Wait till fall.
Norway: fjords are stunning, deep, cool, astounding, ravishingly beautiful; and one is always in good company on the ferries. Furthermore, go farther north past Alta to Hammerfest, called the northernmost city in the world, to see glaciers floating in the North Ice Sea in midsummer and eat the best wild salmon on Earth. Then go slightly southeast to the Finnmark Plateau, a vast, high northern plain loved for its long walks across beautiful terrain, its Saami people, and natural beauty that rivals the American West.
Portugal is comparatively inexpensive right now. The people are exceptionally kind to visitors, the food is very good except in Cacais [cas-ca-ish] and Estoril - which the richest people in Europe claim has perhaps the best food in Europe.
The Adirondacks in northern New York State are among the loveliest mountains in North America. Deep, dark woods; clear, smooth lakes mirror blue sky and fluffy clouds; acres of wild raspberries, and narcotizing pine fragrance.
Taiwan's Taroko Gorge is visually unlike anything in the West: has a wholly amusing mineral baths, a modest Buddhist nunnery, and small treks up vertical rock mountains to views imaginable only via an old Chinese scroll.
Dominica [dom-in-ee'-ka] in the Caribbean may be the most exciting natural environment in the Leewards or the whole West Indies. Divine.
Obviously, Florence and south offer a transformative experience. Autumn is also excellent because harvest time in Tuscany generates deliriously good meals. Fa male a la linea, but worth every ounce.

RE: Some of my favorite places to visit. What are yours?

"Paris in summer. Or spring, or fall, or winter." I agree - and in any other season as well...

One of my many all-time favorite areas in the world is the much maligned Greater Los Angeles, a.k.a. The Southland, or SoCal. For now, let’s not list the many museums and symphony orchestras and other world-class music venues, or the surf-to-mountain-top variety of outdoor options, or the mostly abhorrent (to me) kitsch of Disney and Magic Mountain and Hollywood Studios etc.

Let’s just concentrate on the quiet side of things - the real beauty of the parks and gardens. Here’s a short and incomplete list:

the Japanese Gardens (Suiho En - “Garden of Water and Fragrance”) on Woodley Ave in Van Nuys

RE: Some of my favorite places to visit. What are yours?

Miford Sound & Lake Wakatipu in Southern Island New Zealand is my favorite place. The first time i went there & i fall in love with it. Still does till now. Best time would be spring when all the flowers comes out in different colours. The turqoise color is so memerizing & the cool air breeze was just amazingly refreshing.

RE: Some of my favorite places to visit. What are yours?

I have travelled 27 countries in over 50 years and still one of my favorites is Switzerland. I lived there while I was in college for a summer and it changed my life. I haven't stopped travelling since and have been back to Switzerland three times since then. Another favorite is New Zealand with so few tourists and such beautiful scenery. The people are so friendly and the north and south islands are a contrast with each other making it even more interesting. For art, food and fun, I love Italy too and would spend 3 months in Florance if I had my way. For variety you can not beat China with over 57 nationalities with their own dress and culture, outstanding food and overwheling things to do and see. Each year my wife and I go to one country and spend a month there to imurse ourselves in their culture and food.

RE: Some of my favorite places to visit. What are yours?

About a year ago I posted above about a (then upcoming) trip to Malta. Well I went there for 27 days in February 2014 and loved every minute of it. The people are fantastic, the scenery is spectacular, and the history lessons covering the past six millenia can't be beat anywhere. There is "night life" if that is your desire, but the relaxed atmosphere of being there in the off season -- and at an all-inclusive resort -- was what turned me on.